เฉลยธรรมบัญญัติ 33:23 วิจารณ์

Yet Moses has not done with the children of Israel; he seemed to have taken final leave of them in the close of the foregoing chapter, but still he has something more to say. He had preached them a farewell sermon, a very copious and pathetic discourse. After sermon he had given out a psalm, a long psalm; and now nothing remains but to dismiss them with a blessing; that blessing he pronounces in this chapter in the name of the Lord, and so leaves them. I. He pronounces them all blessed in what God had done for them already, especially in giving them his law (Deu 33:2-5). II. He pronounces a blessing upon each tribe, which is both a prayer for and a prophecy of their felicity. 1. Reuben (Deu 33:6). 2. Judah (Deu 33:7). 3. Levi (Deu 33:8-11). 4. Benjamin (Deu 33:12). 5. Joseph (Deu 33:13-17). 6. Zebulun and Issachar (Deu 33:18, Deu 33:19). 7. Gad (Deu 33:20, Deu 33:21). 8. Dan (Deu 33:22). 9. Naphtali (Deu 33:23). 10. Asher (Deu 33:24, Deu 33:25). III. He pronounces them all in general blessed upon the account of what God would be to them, and do for them if they were obedient (Deu 33:26, etc.).

INTRODUCTION TO DEUTERONOMY 33 This chapter relates the blessings Moses pronounced upon the people of Israel a little before his death; first, in general, on account of their having a law given them in so glorious a manner, Deu 33:1; then, in particular, each of the tribes distinctly is blessed, Reuben, Deu 33:6; Judah, Deu 33:7; Levi, Deu 33:8; Benjamin, Deu 33:12; Joseph, Deu 33:13; Zebulun and Issachar, Deu 33:18; Gad, Deu 33:20; Dan, Deu 33:22; Naphtali, Deu 33:23; Asher, Deu 33:24; and the chapter is concluded with some strong intimations of what God was unto the people of Israel in general, and of what he had done and would do for them; all which are expressive of their great happiness, Deu 33:26.

And of Asher he said,.... The tribe of Asher, as the Targums of Jonathan and Jerusalem: let Asher be blessed with children; with large numbers, as it appears this tribe was, having in it 53,400 men of war, Num 26:47. It was esteemed a great blessing to have many children, Psa 128:3; or "above the children"; above or more than the rest of the children of Jacob; see Luk 2:36; Jarchi observes, that he had seen, in a book called Siphri, that there was none in all the tribes blessed with children as Asher, but not known how: let him be acceptable to his brethren; either for his excellent bread, and royal dainties, Gen 49:20; or for the goodness of his olives and oil, and for the brass and iron found in this tribe, as follows; or, as some say, because of his children, his daughters being very beautiful: and let him dip his foot in oil; have such plenty of it, that if he would he might dip or wash his feet in it; and it was usual not only to anoint the head, but the feet (f) also, with oil, Luk 7:46. (f) "Vidimus etiam vestigia pedum tingi", Plin. Nat. Hist. l. 13. c. 3. Vid. Dalecamp. Not. in ib.

THE MAJESTY OF GOD. (Deu. 33:1-28) Moses the man of God--This was a common designation of a prophet (Sa1 2:27; Sa1 9:6), and it is here applied to Moses, when, like Jacob, he was about to deliver ministerially before his death, a prophetic benediction to Israel.

of Naphtali he said--The pleasant and fertile territory of this tribe lay to "the west," on the borders of lakes Merom and Chinnereth, and to "the south" of the northern Danites.

Naphtali. - "O Naphtali, satisfied with favour, and full of the blessing of Jehovah; of sea and south shall he take possession." If the gracefulness of Naphtali is set forth in the blessing of Jacob, by comparing it to a gazelle, here Moses assures the same tribe of satisfaction with the favour and blessing of God, and promises it the possession of the sea and of the south, i.e., an inheritance which should combine the advantages of the sea - a healthy sea-breeze - with the grateful warmth of the south. This blessing is expressed in far too general terms for it to be possible to interpret it historically, as relating to the natural characteristics of the inheritance of the Naphtalites in Canaan, or to regard it as based upon them, apart altogether from the fact, that the territory of Naphtali was situated in the north-east of Canaan, and reached as far as the sea of Galilee, and that it was for the most part mountainous, though it was a very fertile hill-country (Jos 19:32-39). ירשׁה is a very unique form of the imperative, though this does not warrant an alteration of the text.